FIVE years ago Debbie Brewer was told she had only months to live due to asbestos-related lung cancer.

Today the Plymouth mother of three is still battling what she describes as her "silent stalker".

The 51-year-old said she continues to fight so she can spend time with her children.

She also tirelessly raises awareness of the devastating disease mesothelioma.

Debbie, aged 51, of Eggbuckland, spoke out to back Action Mesothelioma Day, on July 1, and highlight a new support group for city patients.

She said: "My cancer is never going to go away. I call it my silent stalker. Anyone with cancer will tell you the same. It's there when you wake in the morning and go to bed at night.

"But mesothelioma isn't always about dying. It's about living as well.

"I just want to be here for my children and am fighting for that.

"I want to be around to see my first grandchild, to see my children move in to their first homes. I don't want to leave them behind not coping."

Her three children are Kieran, 14, Richard, 21, and Siobhan, 24.

When Debbie was diagnosed with mesothelioma in November 2006, she was told she had between six and nine months to live.

She received a six-figure Government compensation after claiming her illness was caused by hugging her father when he returned from work at Devonport Dockyard in overalls contaminated with asbestos fibres.

She used part of the money to fund specialised chemotherapy treatment in Germany and saw the cancer shrink by more than 83 per cent.

A recent scan showed the tumour had started to spread again, in the lining of her left lung near her heart.

She returned to the University Clinic in Frankfurt for further treatment this week – with results of the first session due in August.

Debbie said she is feeling hopeful about the latest session.

She praised the South West Mesothelioma Group, based at the Mustard Tree, Derriford Hospital.

The patient support group is being officially launched on Friday , Action Mesothelioma Day, during an event at Saltram House.

Debbie said: "The new group is fabulous. Back in 2006 I felt on my own and lost. I didn't know who to speak to. Something like this would have been invaluable.

"It's so important to raise awareness. People are still being exposed to asbestos – when renovating houses and schools among other places. It's not like hitting your thumb with a hammer and seeing the damage immediately. You may breathe asbestos dust in today and mesothelioma emerges decades later."

Plymouth is a hotspot for asbestos-related deaths, many of them among former Devonport workers.

Debbie will be among people affected by mesothelioma who will attend the event at Saltram House on Friday, Action Mesothelioma Day. Patients with the disease, their families and friends are invited to lay flowers at the foot of a memorial tree.

The gathering will take place from 10am until midday.